Manchester United are still trying to secure a deal for Inter Milan midfielder Ivan Perisic.
The Croatian winger has been on United’s radar all summer, and is the only major target of Jose Mourinho that the club have yet to land.
Inter Milan remain insistent that they do not want to sell the 28-year-old, and over the weekend their coach Lucaiono Spaletti said: “Perisic is determined to remain.”
However, sources close to United believe that they still have a real chance of landing Perisic – who they also believe would happily move to Old Trafford.
Perisic is valued at close to £50million by Inter, but United have thus far refused to go over £40million.
However, both Chelsea and Barcelona have now asked about Perisic’s situation – and United are now ready to make another push, knowing there are over two weeks left to get a deal done in this transfer window. The player has also been offered a new contract at Inter and he could sign that, unless United up their offer.
Bookmakers at the moment can only see Perisic remaining at Inter, with SkyBet rating him at 1/3 to remain in Milan whereas United are 9/4 to land him.
We spoke to UnitedEnd editor Tom McDermott about the prospect of Perisic still coming to Old Trafford.
“Perisic is everything Mourinho looks for in a wide player and is as comfortable defending as he is attacking which means he can operate as a wing back if necessary,” McDermott told us.
“Lukaku needs more bullets from wide areas and the Croatian’s pace and direct style would certainly help Mourinho out in that area of the pitch.”